Career-driven Museum Studies certificate open to Abington students in all majors

ABINGTON, Pa. — This fall Penn State Abington broadened potential career options for all students with the new 12-credit Museum Studies Certificate program, featuring a course anchored at an internationally acclaimed Philadelphia cultural institution. Students learn how museum professionals preserve, curate and present topics ranging from the arts to sports using dynamic, accessible methods.

“At Penn State Abington, students have the unique opportunity to engage directly with this important work through collaboration with museum professionals in the Philadelphia region,” Friederike Baer, division head for Arts and Humanities, said. “These kinds of experiences are central to the Abington Experience, a roadmap that guides students from campus to career.”

Yvonne Love, associate professor in the art degree program, teaches the ART 409/ARTH 409 Museum Studies course that capitalizes on her relationship with the Barnes Foundation, which sits along Philadelphia’s vibrant museum mile.

“Our course gives students a unique opportunity to learn directly within a world-renowned institution. Through conversations with museum professionals — including curators, marketers and educators — students gain firsthand insight into how museums operate and make valuable connections for potential internships,” Love said.

“Last year, our students even attended professional mixers at the Barnes — an invaluable opportunity to network and experience the field from the inside,” Love added.

The Museum Studies certificate combines classroom learning with real-world experiences that include a required for-credit internship. The program can complement any degree program, and it may be of particular interest to students with majors and minors in American studies, art, criminal justice, history, integrative arts, multidisciplinary studies, and recreation, park and tourism management.

Students choose from a range of courses grounded in theory and practice like ART 477 Curator’s Workshop, ARTSA 402W Strategic Management and Planning for the Arts, ARTSA 403 Fundraising and Grant Writing, HIST 490 Archival Management, and RPTM 334 Nonprofit Recreation Agency Operations.

“The Museum Studies Certificate cultivates the critical and creative skills essential for understanding and communicating the complexity of human experience. It would be an excellent addition to any major,” Baer said.

Course at the Barnes Foundation

The Museum Studies course component at the Barnes grew out of Love’s work with the Foundation's Undergraduate Advisory Council, a program that connects the museum with art students in the Philadelphia region, and specifically with Kaelin Jewell, senior instructor of adult education at the Barnes.

“Kaelin and her colleagues generously welcomed our students, creating a unique opportunity to meet with professionals in curation, marketing and education,” Love said.

Each semester Abington students visit the Barnes multiple times, meeting with Jewell; Cindy Kang, associate curator; and Kim Jakominich, director of marketing and brand engagement. Through interactions with other professional staff, students learn about curatorial approaches and processes, exhibition design and interpretation, and artistic presentation.

According to Jewell, part of the Museum Studies course's value lies in offering Abington students an insider's glimpse into how cultural institutions operate outside of their internship.

“I think the fact that they are in a classroom setting, overseen by a professor, gives them some initial structure needed to get a handle on the complexities involved in museum work before diving into the more formal setting of an internship,” Jewell said.

About Penn State Abington

Penn State Abington, home to nearly 3,000 students and just minutes from Philadelphia, offers 26 four-year majors and 14 NCAA Division III athletics teams. The Abington Experience launches students from campus to career through internships, leadership development, short-term academic travel, and faculty-led research. Penn State Abington — where the city’s energy meets the best of the suburbs.